Could your fitness tracker be making you fatter?

Share via

These data-collectors keep tally of every step stepped and every calorie burntGetty Images

Peta Bee

Published at 12:01AM, August 13 2014

Science and experience suggest the self-monitoring gadgets are inaccurate and may lead to weight gain

It is rare for a workout trend to have such universal appeal that it is
enthusiastically adopted by everyone from A-listers to pensioners. Yet
fitness-tracking bracelets are being sported on the wrists of the likes of
Katy Perry, Gwyneth Paltrow, Britney Spears and my 60-year-old neighbour,
who swears that her Fitbit is keeping her in shape. These data-collectors,
which keep tally of every step stepped and every calorie burnt — whether
while exercising or doing the housework — seem almost as popular among
adults this summer as loom bands are for children: if it’s not a Jawbone UP
or a Nike+ FuelBand